This application relates to aminoethanethiol compounds and to thiazolidine compounds which are made therefrom. These compounds are useful as intermediates in the preparation of image dye-providing materials for use in photographic applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,489 describes and claims photographic processes employing initially photographically inert compounds which are capable of undergoing cleavage in the presence of the imagewise distribution of silver ions made available during processing of a silver halide emulsion to liberate a reagent, such as, a photographically active reagent or a dye in an imagewise distribution corresponding to that of said silver ions. In one embodiment disclosed therein, color images are produced by using as the photographically inert compounds, color providing compounds which are substantially non-diffusible in the photographic processing composition but capable of undergoing cleavage in the presence of the imagewise distribution of silver ions and/or soluble silver complex made available in the undeveloped and partially developed areas of a silver halide emulsion as a function of development to liberate a more mobile and diffusible color-providing moiety in an imagewise distribution corresponding to the imagewise distribution of said ions and/or said complex. The subsequent formation of a color image is the result of the differential in diffusibility between the parent compound and liberated color-providing moiety whereby the imagewise distribution of the more diffusible color-providing moiety released in the undeveloped and partially developed areas is free to transfer. Color-providing compounds useful in the above processes form the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,783, a continuation-in-part, of said U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,489.
Copending application Ser. No. 644,915, filed on even date herewith now U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,051, discloses photographic processes for forming a dye image from a color shifted dye precursor which comprises a dye having at least one acylated amino group and which also includes a moiety containing a thiazolidin-2-yl group which upon silver-assisted cleavage initiates a reaction sequence leading to the formation of the image dye. The present application is directed to aminoethanethiol and thiazolidine compounds which are useful as intermediates in the preparation of image dye-providing materials suitable for use in such photographic processes.